Call EDD
Back to California Unemployment

Giovanni Gallo

How much unemployment can I get from California EDD?

So I just got laid off last Friday from my warehouse job where I'd been working for about 2.5 years. First time I've ever had to file for unemployment in my life and honestly I have no idea what I'm doing. I went to the California EDD website and started the process but I got confused when it asked about my earnings and I wasn't sure what quarters they look at. My pay varied a lot because I worked overtime sometimes and other times hours got cut. I make around $22/hr normally but some months were way higher than others. I'm trying to figure out how much unemployment can I get from California EDD because I need to know if I can even cover my rent while this is going on. Anyone been through this recently and can explain how they calculate the benefit amount? Do they look at my last paycheck or what?

California EDD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on what they call the base period, which is roughly the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. So if you filed this month in 2025, they'd look at your earnings from roughly October 2023 through September 2024. They take the quarter where you earned the most money during that base period and your weekly benefit amount ends up being about 60-70% of your average weekly wages during that highest quarter. The max weekly benefit amount in California right now is $450 per week. You can also use the EDD benefit calculator on their website to get an estimate before your claim gets processed.

0 coins

Wait so they only look at one quarter out of the four? That seems weird. What if my best quarter was like way higher than normal because of overtime? Does that help or hurt me?

0 coins

Overtime counts as regular wages so yes it would help you. More earnings in that highest quarter means a higher weekly benefit amount, up to the $450 max. The formula is basically your highest quarter earnings divided by 26 to get your weekly benefit.

0 coins

This is a good explanation. Just want to add that if your regular base period doesn't qualify you for benefits (like if you had a gap in work), California EDD also has an alternate base period option that looks at the most recent 4 completed quarters instead. Worth knowing about.

0 coins

first time filer here too, went through this a few months back. honestly the benefit amount was lower than i expected but it helps. i made about $20/hr and ended up getting like $380 a week. not great but covered the basics. the main thing people dont realize is you also get a $25 weekly supplement on top of your base benefit amount in california. so factor that in too

0 coins

$380 on $20/hr sounds about right based on what the other person explained. Did you have any issues with your claim getting held up or did it go through pretty quickly?

0 coins

mine went into adjudication for like 2 weeks which was nerve wracking but eventually got approved and they paid me backdated so i got a lump sum for the weeks i was waiting. just make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications even while waiting

0 coins

same happened to me with the adjudication thing. so stressful not knowing whats happening with your money

0 coins

I was in a similar spot last year trying to figure out my benefit amount before my claim processed. Spent like 3 days trying to call California EDD to ask a simple question about my wage calculation and could never get through. A coworker told me about a service called Claimyr that basically holds your place in the EDD phone queue and calls you back when an agent is available. Used it at claimyr.com and actually got through to someone who walked me through exactly how my wages would be calculated. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see before trying it. Honestly saved me so much stress just being able to ask a real person my questions.

0 coins

I've been trying to call EDD for two days and keep getting the 'we cannot take your call' message. Might actually try this, thanks for sharing.

0 coins

does this actually work? seems too good to be true when edd phones are basically impossible

0 coins

100% worked for me. I was skeptical too but got a callback within a couple hours and talked to an actual EDD agent. Way better than hitting redial 200 times.

0 coins

gonna look into this claimyr thing. calling edd has been an absolute nightmare every time ive tried

0 coins

ok so I want to clarify something because I see this come up a lot - the $450 max weekly benefit amount is the BASE amount. With the $25 California supplement that was mentioned above the actual max is $475/week. For someone at $22/hr full time that probably puts you close to the max or right at it depending on your overtime situation. Use the calculator on the EDD site, it takes like 2 minutes and gives you a solid estimate. Just plug in your quarterly wages from your pay stubs.

0 coins

I found my last 4 pay stubs but I don't have exact quarterly breakdowns. Would my W2 work for this?

0 coins

Your W2 shows annual earnings not quarterly so it's less useful for the calculator. Check your pay stubs or if your employer uses ADP or Paychex you can usually log into the employee portal and pull quarterly summaries pretty easily.

0 coins

wait i thought the max was higher than $450? i swear i read something about california raising it

0 coins

The legislature has been talking about it but as of 2025 the weekly max is still $450 base. Don't quote me on future changes but that's the current number.

0 coins

Something important nobody mentioned yet - to even qualify for benefits in California you need to have earned at least $1,300 in your highest base period quarter, OR at least $900 in your highest quarter AND your total base period earnings need to be 1.25 times your high quarter earnings. At $22/hr you almost certainly qualify, but good to know the threshold exists. Also your employer needs to have been paying into the state unemployment insurance system which 99% of legit employers do.

0 coins

Yeah I definitely earned way more than $1300 in any given quarter so I think I'm good on that front. My concern is more about the actual amount I'll receive.

0 coins

Then you're in good shape. Based on $22/hr full time your highest quarter was probably around $11,000-12,000 which divided by 26 gets you to the $423-$461 range per week, right near the max.

0 coins

ugh NOBODY at edd can ever explain this stuff clearly on the website either. I spent an entire afternoon trying to figure out my benefit amount last year and the EDD website kept timing out and the calculator wasn't working right. THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE I SWEAR. ended up just filing and hoping for the best which is probably what most people do honestly

0 coins

lol same, the website is a disaster. i just submitted and waited

0 coins

and then you wait FOREVER in adjudication without any updates. love it. great system.

0 coins

This is making me nervous lol. Is there any way to actually get a straight answer before just submitting and hoping?

0 coins

To answer your question above - yes, talking to an actual EDD agent is the only way to get a definitive answer before your claim processes. The online calculator gives estimates but agents can actually look at your wage records in the system. That's exactly why I used Claimyr when I needed to verify my benefit amount - got through to an agent who confirmed my calculation right on the phone. Way less guessing.

0 coins

Ok I'm going to try claimyr tonight. The calculator is giving me an estimate but I want to confirm with someone real.

0 coins

let us know if it worked for you! curious to hear

0 coins

just want to say you can also look up your base period wages yourself by requesting your wage transcript from California EDD. there's a form for it online. that way you know exactly what quarters they're seeing and you can calculate yourself without needing to talk to anyone

0 coins

Good tip. The SDI/UI wage records are maintained by EDD and you do have the right to request them. Though it can take a while to receive.

0 coins

How long does that usually take to come through?

0 coins

honestly no idea, i requested mine and it took about 3 weeks which wasn't super helpful in the moment lol

0 coins

ok real talk the benefit amount calculator online is actually pretty accurate in my experience. i estimated $390 a week from the calculator and ended up getting $388. close enough. just make sure you're entering the right quarters because thats where most people mess up

0 coins

Which quarters exactly do I enter? Like calendar quarters Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun etc?

0 coins

yes exactly those. so like if youre filing now in 2025 you want to look at your pay from like fall 2023 through fall 2024 approximately. find the quarter where you earned the most and use that for the calculation

0 coins

don't forget that unemployment benefits in california ARE taxable income at the federal level even though california doesn't tax them at the state level. so budget accordingly so you're not surprised at tax time next year. i got hit with a bigger tax bill than expected my first time collecting UI

0 coins

Oh wow I did not know that. So I should probably set aside some of my weekly benefit for federal taxes?

0 coins

yeah you can actually opt into having 10% withheld automatically when you set up your claim. i'd recommend it honestly saves the headache later

0 coins

This is correct and a really important point. You can elect voluntary federal withholding right on your UI Online profile settings. 10% is the only withholding option California EDD offers for UI benefits.

0 coins

also wondering - do they count like every single job you had during the base period or just your main employer? i had a side gig for a few months in there

0 coins

All covered employment during the base period counts toward your wages and your eligibility calculation. If your side gig paid into California's UI system (which most W-2 jobs do), those wages get included. 1099 gig work generally does NOT count.

0 coins

oh interesting so my doordash stuff wouldnt count but my part time retail job would

0 coins

Exactly right. W-2 employer = counts. 1099 independent contractor work = doesn't count toward your UI base period wages.

0 coins

wait I'm confused about something - is standby status different from regular unemployment? my cousin said if you file standby you get more money but that doesn't sound right to me

0 coins

Standby status doesn't affect your benefit AMOUNT, it affects your job search requirements. Normally you have to apply to at least 3 jobs per week to certify for UI benefits. If you're on standby status (usually because your employer expects to rehire you within 8 weeks), you don't have to do the job search activities. But your weekly benefit amount is calculated exactly the same way regardless.

0 coins

oh ok that makes way more sense. my cousin was definitely wrong about the amount thing

0 coins

Good to know the distinction. I was laid off permanently so standby doesn't apply to me but useful info.

0 coins

I spent WEEKS trying to get through to EDD on the phone to ask about my benefit calculation and it was absolutely maddening. Every single time - either busy signal, disconnected after hold, or that terrible message saying high call volume try again. I genuinely don't understand how a government agency serving millions of people has such a broken phone system. End rant.

0 coins

Seriously it's why I started recommending Claimyr to everyone I know dealing with EDD. claimyr.com - they navigate the phone system for you and connect you to an agent. Literally changed my experience with EDD completely. There's a walkthrough video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 that explains the whole thing.

0 coins

ok fine i'll look into it. at this point anything is worth trying

0 coins

second this, edd phone system is genuinely one of the worst i've ever encountered in my life

0 coins

One more thing worth knowing - after you file your initial claim there's a one week unpaid waiting period before you start receiving benefits. So even after your claim is approved you won't get paid for week one. It's just how California UI works. Don't freak out thinking something is wrong when the first week shows as $0.

0 coins

Ugh really? That's annoying. So I'll effectively lose a week of benefits no matter what?

0 coins

Yeah unfortunately. Week 1 is always the waiting period week. Week 2 onward you receive payment as long as you certify on time.

0 coins

This is correct. The waiting period week was temporarily waived during the pandemic but it's back in effect now for regular UI claims.

0 coins

just checking back - OP did you ever get your claim filed and figure out the amount you're getting?

0 coins

Yes! Update: I filed my claim, used claimyr to actually get through to an EDD agent who confirmed my benefit amount would be around $440/week based on my wages. Claim is processing now, no adjudication issues so far. Way less scary than I thought it would be once I talked to a real person. Thanks everyone for the help.

0 coins

Great news! $440/week is solid, good luck with the job search

0 coins

Glad it worked out! And yeah claimyr is the move when you actually need to talk to someone at EDD. Wasted so many hours before I found out about it

0 coins

For anyone finding this thread later with the same question - quick summary of how California EDD calculates your weekly benefit amount: 1) They look at your base period (first 4 of last 5 completed calendar quarters). 2) They find your highest earning quarter in that period. 3) They divide those earnings by 26. 4) The result is your weekly benefit amount, capped at $450/week (plus $25 supplement = $475 max). 5) You'll receive roughly 60-70% of your previous average weekly wages. Use the calculator at edd.ca.gov for your personal estimate.

0 coins

this is exactly what i was looking for, bookmarking this thread

0 coins

great summary. should be pinned honestly

0 coins

thanks this cleared up so much confusion for me

0 coins

Adding one nuance to the excellent summary above - if your base period wages don't meet the minimum qualifying threshold, ask your EDD representative about the alternate base period. The ABP looks at the most recent 4 completed calendar quarters instead and can sometimes qualify workers who wouldn't be eligible under the standard base period calculation. It's not automatic - you have to specifically request it.

0 coins

Good to know, thankfully I didn't need it but useful for anyone who had gaps in employment.

0 coins

Exactly - it's most helpful for workers who had a recent period of unemployment or a medical leave that reduced their earnings in the standard base period window.

0 coins

one thing nobody mentioned - if you get a part time job while collecting UI you don't lose all your benefits. california has partial unemployment where they reduce your weekly payment based on what you earned but you still collect something. the formula is a little complicated but basically any week you earn less than your weekly benefit amount you can still claim partial UI for that week

0 coins

Oh this is really helpful actually. I'm thinking about picking up some part time work while I look for something permanent. Good to know I wouldn't lose everything.

0 coins

just make sure to report every dollar you earn when you certify. not reporting earnings is how people end up with overpayment notices and those are a nightmare to deal with

0 coins

Correct on both counts. Partial UI is very useful for people doing gig work or part time during their claim. And yes - always report earnings accurately on your weekly certification, even if it feels like it'll reduce your check. The alternative (overpayment + potential fraud flag) is much worse.

0 coins

Related posts

EDD Phone Number Live Person: Fastest Way to Bypass Menu

California Unemployment AI

Expert Assistant
Secure

Powered by Claimyr AI

T
I
+
43,680 users helped today